“I Miss My Favorite Activities”: Therapy Helps

WRITTEN BY: JOE NESTER

It is hard to imagine the frustration a person experiences when they can no longer manage a simple daily living task that was once taken for granted. Recovering from a severe illness or injury, especially as we age, can be eye-opening for a previously independent person who suddenly must rely on others to perform basic activities of daily living. Getting dressed, fixing meals, and bathing are all tasks that can become difficult when a patient has limited strength or mobility issues. 

Occupational Therapy (OT) involves engaging the patient through everyday occupations or activities of daily living (ADL). Therapy can vary widely from patient to patient, with an individualized approach addressing the most important aspect of recovery. Beth Reeves, OT for Your Health, stated, "A good candidate for OT is someone who has lost the ability to perform something meaningful to them." 

Therapy is a cooperative effort between the therapist and the patient, and a positive outcome can be as much about the patient's motivation and attitude as it is about the therapy itself. 

One of the myths about OT is that it is the same as Physical Therapy (PT). PT and OT are complementary disciplines with specific differences in methods. PT is focused on improving mobility, restoring function, and alleviating pain while enhancing strength, flexibility, and balance. Examples of PT would be seen in orthopedic injuries, sports injuries, and other issues concerning chronic pain. OT focuses on helping patients participate in meaningful activities or "occupations" necessary for day-to-day living. Care that falls under OT includes (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing, grooming, and related tasks. 

One of the common obstacles patients face after sustaining a debilitating injury or illness is a home environment that might no longer be manageable due to the patient's strength or mobility limitations. For example, a patient can no longer reach a bedroom on the second floor. Having an OT follow a patient home after a hospital stay has the advantage of identifying these limitations and working hand in hand with durable medical equipment companies to provide solutions. 

This real-life story illustrates how an OT assisted a patient transitioning from hospital to home after an episode of COVID-19. The patient, a 50-year-old woman who only had asthma as a pre-existing condition when she contracted COVID-19, was hospitalized because of difficulty in breathing, but was not on a ventilator. According to the OT who helped her then, just getting out of bed and going to the bathroom left her gasping for breath and exhausted. While working with her on breathing exercises, the OT placed chairs every few feet along the route to the bathroom so she could rest if needed. When the woman was released, the OT mapped out a similar path in her home and placed the appropriate rest stops along the way. This small step allowed the woman to maintain her independence in accomplishing this essential activity while working to rebuild her strength. 

"Your Health" continues to expand its rehabilitation services and offers both traditional office settings and in-home OT for its patients. In addition to providing rehabilitation, OT helps patients avoid future injuries by educating them and modifying their activities, workspaces, and habits. OT helps improve a patient's quality of life, leading to greater well-being.